We want to keep our planning meetings short and focused. As a result, we have developed the following set of meeting guidelines.

• Please help us keep the meeting short and focused. Concentrate on topics and dates.
  • Please no discussions on the topics; that's what the scheduled presentation is for.
  • Any discussion should be short, and to the point: is this topic worth presenting to the group
• Despite the name of our group, we have a significant leeway in topics that span historical, present, and future perspectives.
• Some topics will be presented periodically (subject to speaker availability) as the content changes (e.g., recent discoveries or findings)

The general flow of the planning meeting

1. Review all commitments on the current schedule (each: ok? delete? follow-up status)
2. Insert a Potpourri every 5 +/- weeks (can be rescheduled)
   • This is to allow time for completing unfinished presentations, short presentations, and interesting videos
3. Go over the list of potential topics on the potential topics page
   • Worth presenting?
   • Do we have or can we get a presenter?
   • Add to schedule? If so, when?
   • Remove from future consideration?
4. Go over recommendations from the group. (Some who can't attend have sent in recommendations beforehand)

And only then, if time remains, we can have a general discussion.

About a week after the primary planning meeting, Bob, John, Peter, and Steve meet:

• review the results and tie up any to-do's
• produce other to-do's, such as: who will contact which speaker and other follow-ups needed
• choose potential topics and/or videos for potpourris

• Limit discussion. We are just scheduling presentations and topics.
• We first go through existing schedule
• Then go through potential topics and schedule them (or leave on hold or remove them)
• Schedule potpourri every 5 weeks or so
• After above, consider recommendations from the group
• We are not here to discuss the topics, only to schedule them (and leave discussion to the meeting on the topic)